1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to earphones and methods of making the same to obtain earphones and earphone assemblies which reproduce sounds with very high fidelity and with minimum noise and which are suitable for use by the most discriminating listeners. The earphones and assemblies of the invention are very compact and light in weight, are highly reliable and are readily and economically manufacturable.
2. Background of the Prior Art
“Audiophile” earphones have been marketed for use by audiophiles or discriminating listeners interested in the highest possible sound reproduction. Such audiophile earphones have been ostensibly capable of effecting high fidelity sound reproduction although it has been recognized by many users as well as the makers of such earphones that they have left much to be desired with respect to fidelity of reproduction. It has apparently been assumed by such users and makers that deficiencies in quality of sound reproduction are an unavoidable result of the use of earphones.
In a separate audiometry art, earphones have also been developed and marketed in limited quantities for use in specialized audiometry applications to measure the responses of a patient's ear and having features for obtaining desired response characteristics, one disclosure being contained in the Killion U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,753, issued Aug. 16, 1988. Another separate art, the hearing aid art, also contains many disclosures related to the achievement of improved response characteristics, including a paper entitled “SMOOTHING THE ITE RESPONSE: THE BF-1743 DAMPED COUPLING ASSEMBLY” by Mead C. Killion and William J. Murphy, first published in April 1981 and revised June 1982, by Industrial Research Products, Inc. Elk Grove Village, Ill. Such disclosures in the audiometry and hearing aid art relate to devices of relatively expensive construction which are designed for specialized applications and marketed in limited quantities. The applicability of the audiometry and hearing aid arts to the making of earphones for use in high fidelity sound reproduction has apparently gone unrecognized.